Holder for medicated cartridge for douche bag



Aug. 7, 1962 F. E. CHARLES 3,048,174

HOLDER FOR MEDICATED CARTRIDGE FOR DOUCHE BAG Filed Jan. 7, 1960 Frank ECharles INVENTOR.

United States Patent Oilfice 3,048,174 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 3,048,174HOLDER FOR MEDICATED CARTREDGE FER DQUCHE BAG Frank E. Charles, 390 S.6th St., Blythe, Calif. Filed Jan. 7, 196i), Ser. No. 1,079 4 Ciainis.(Ci. 128-227) The present invention relates, broadly and generallyspeaking, to hot water bottles and syringes but has reference inparticular to a douche bag and means cooperable therewith for promotinga fast, reliable and safe method of administering an efficaciouslymedicated douche.

In carrying out the underlying inventive principles of the concept underadvisement, the idea has been to effectually cope with female personalhygiene problems by appropriating and using a method and means tosimplify the act of douching to promote personal cleanliness and toachieve this end in a manner to save valuable time and effort and tothus encourage willing believers to resort with frequency to the use ofthe means to be hereinafter specifically disclosed.

With a view toward achieving the herein-desired-results and seeking toencourage widespread adoption and use, a simple sleeve-like cartridge isprovided. The sleeve itself is made of appropriate absorbent materialwhich when wetted liberates the medicament with which it is charged. Bymerely running tap water over the cartridge, as the bag is being filled,the trapped water is effectually medicated.

The invention also features a simple and practical holder for thecartridge. Specifically, this holder may be described as a rack-likehanger having an upstanding centralized prongdike post over which thebore of the sleeve or cartridge is removably fitted. This rack or hangeris suspended within the confines of the neck portion of the bag so thatthe cartridge, at least a major portion thereof, may be immersed in thewater which has been trapped in the bag. In fact, simply running the tapwater over the cartridge medicates the water.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a currently well-known type of adouche bag or hot water bottle showing the impregnated or medicatedcartridge racked and suspended in the lower mouth portion thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view with a portion broken away andappearing in section.

FIG. 3 is avertic'al section on the plane of the line 3--3 of FIG. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows.

PEG. 4 is a view in perspective which may be said to be of an explodedtype in that the medicated cartridge is separated from the post on thehanger or rack.

Insofar as the essence of the invention is concerned, the container 6(bags, syringes, hot water bottles, etc.) may be of any suitableconstruction. While it would be within the purview of the inventiveconcept to employ the novel rack and cartridge for some other bodyirrigating purpose, it is believed that the matter under advisement maybe best and clearly understood in relation to the aforementioned fast,safe method for female personal hygiene. It will simplify matters hereto interpret the container as a douche bag, the upper mouth portion 8being open, perhaps (as often the case) cylindrical in cross-section.There is a suspension flap 10 at the top with a hole 12. to accommodatea nail or the like 14 on which the bag may be suspended. The lower orbottom portion is tapered and of funnel-like form, as at 16, and a hose13 is connected thereto.

The aforementioned douche water medicating means comprises an absorbentsleeve 2% which, in common practice, is about one and one-half to twoinches in length having a cross-section of slightly less than an inch.It may be a simple cotton tube or sleeve impregnated with a medicament(salt and soda) or any equivalent chemical commonly used whenadministering a douche. The bore of the sleeve is denoted at 22. It issuch that the sleeve may be fitted over a prong-like post 24 carried bya disklike hub-member 21 formed at the lower converging ends of thecircumferentially spaced radial spokes 26 of the hanger or rack 28.There is a ring 39 to which the spokes are connected and the ring hasits outer peripheral portion seated in a channel provided therefor byway of an encircling bead or equivalent retaining means 32. This hangermay be made of non-corrodible metal, a suitable grade of commercialplastics, of synthetics or a combination of such materials. In practice,the absorbent cotton cartridge or sleeve (which has been properlyimpregnated with a soluble medicament) is merely slipped over the post24 to assume the position seen in FIG. 3. The rack is plugged removablyinto the mouth portion of the bag (FIG. 1) so that as the water from thetap enters and is trapped it partially takes up the embodiment. Sincethe cartridge itself is immersed in the liquid the latter is conditionedfor administering the treatment quickly and safely,

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use as a time and labor-saving aid when administering a douche, adouche bag having an unobstructedly open top mouth portion and afunnel-like bottom adapted to be connected with a fluid delivery hose, areadily insertable and removable sleeve made of absorbent material, saidsleeve being charged with a prescribed medicament commonly used inadministering a douche and which is liberated when immersed in water orotherwise subjected to the action of water coming in contact therewith,and an openwork rack embodying a ring removably mounted in the mouthportion for supporting said medicamentcharged sleeve, said ringsuspending a hub member having an upstanding prong-like post on whichthe sleeve is removably mounted and held, said post being in axialalignment with the central axis of the ring.

2. For use in the upper end of the mouth portion of a douche bag or thelike, a one-piece openwork readily insertable and removable suspensionrack embodying a frame adapted to be positioned horizontally andretained in operative position in said mouth portion, an upstandingertically disposed post the vertical axis of which is in axial alignmentwith the axis of said frame, said frame being provided withindependentcircumferentially spaced depending spokes having lower endsthereof cooperable with and supporting said post, and a readilyattachable and detachable medicated sleeve removably mounted on saidpost and constantly accessible by way of said frame.

3. For use in the upper part of the mouth portion of a hot water bottleor the like, an insertable and removable hanger rack having anupstanding retaining post, and an attachable and detechable medicatedcartridge mounted removably on said post, said cartridge being ofabsorbent cotton which will liberate the medicament by dissolving thesame, said rack comprising a ring-like frame, radial spokes carried byand depending from said frame, said spokes converging and beingconnected with said post by way of a disk-like member supporting saidpost.

4. For use in positioning and suspending a readily insertable andremovable absorbent medicated sleeve centrally in the mouth portion of ahot water bottle, an openwork rack comprising a ring-like frame adaptedto be ac cessible and removably fitted and suspended in the mouth ofsaid Water bottle, a centrally disposed disk-like member located in aplane below the plane of said frame, said member being of an area inplan appreciably less than the diameter of said ring and having itsmarginal edge well within the space circumscribed by said frame,circumferentially spaced independent spokes connected at upper ends tosaid frame and converging toward and with their lower ends connected tosaid disk-like member and aft joining the disk-like member to the frame,said disk-like member being provided on an upper side thereof with anupstanding positioning and retaining post for said medicated sleeve.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

